As we all know, the ongoing COVID-19 situation is
fundamentally disrupting virtually every facet of our lives – and brand
communications is no exception. And for organizations of all sizes, across
virtually all sectors, the lynchpin of navigating this unprecedented situation
has been effective internal and external communications.

At The Martin Group, we’ve been busy helping clients recalibrate
their communications activities in response to the situation. Our crisis
communications team has been working around the clock to help craft and
disseminate key messaging to help clients communicate critical updates and
notifications pertaining to their operations, from site closures and staff
reductions to incidences of possible coronavirus exposure to, in some cases, the
full halting of operations. But even for clients experiencing lower levels of
operational disruption, the need to adjust marketing communications is no less urgent.
In these cases, our social media team has been proactively guiding clients on
the dos and don’ts for communicating on social during the pandemic, urging
brands to more tightly regulate their tone of voice, while adjusting their
content strategies to the reality that consumers and other audience segments
are spending more time at home than ever before.

Here are some specific examples of how we’ve been helping
clients communicate during this ongoing situation.

Critical communications from organizations on the front
lines

For many clients within our healthcare vertical,
communicating vital information in a timely manner can be lifesaving. In many
cases, these institutions are also the leading voices in our community
advocating for safe and healthy behavioral changes at an individual level.

We helped Kaleida
Health, for example, rapidly revamp the creative and messaging of their
existing media buys to amplify a critical “stay home” message to the community,
urging Western New Yorkers to help flatten the curve by practicing social
distancing. Within 24 hours of deciding to adjust the messaging, our creative
and media teams hustled to produce new assets across a variety of different
media, including outdoor, print, digital display, bus wraps, and more.

We worked with Samaritan
Health to communicate similar messaging to the Watertown, NY community,
developing two sets of creative – the first being strictly information about COVID-19
resources, and then a second, softer message urging residents to stay home and
stay safe, all while linking back to the informational content via a landing
page the client created and The Martin Group helped optimize.

Website updates were also the focus of our work to support Buffalo
Medical Group, which created a landing
page to update patients on new protocols designed to keep everyone safe,
including information on virtual care options and clear instructions on what to
do if one is experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. We also helped create and publish
similar website updates for ECMC, creating a new
page on their website for all COVID-related resources while keeping the
site’s News section
up to date with press releases and other critical updates from the
organization.

But for other health care and human services organizations, the
COVID-19 pandemic is altering communications in less obvious ways, too. For
example, April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, and this year’s
observance takes on new, heightened significance, as we will likely see an
unfortunate spike in child abuse cases as a consequence of the increased time
spent indoors. This is a major concern of BestSelf Behavioral Health,
whose Child Advocacy Center offers safety, support, and a healing place
for children and families affected by trauma and abuse in Erie County. Our Public
Relations team worked with BestSelf to create awareness of this issue
throughout the community via earned media, securing both an editorial and Another Voice column in the
April 3 edition of The Buffalo News.

For “nonessential” brands, pivoting and staying relevant

The impact coronavirus has on brand communications extends
far beyond just the health care sector. Brands across virtually all industries
are switching gears in the way they communicate with audiences, whether to
educate stakeholders on important operational changes, or even just to maintain
relevance and mindshare.

For MassMutual’sThe Establishment, a
first-of-its-kind initiative designed to help young professionals think about
long-term wealth management by engaging them through educational classes, the
inability to host physical, in-person classes has forced the organization to
fundamentally alter its primary method for engaging audiences and attracting
new clients. Responding and adjusting quickly to the new norms of social
distancing, the organization has temporarily converted its in-person classes to
a virtual format. In turn, The Martin Group updated their websites to allow for
Zoom conference calls in place of in-person classes, and also created content
for social media to help promote the new approach to classes.

What’s coming to The Establishment in April? An impressive list of Zoom webinar sessions from both Rochester and…

Another initiative that’s been disrupted by social
distancing is Project Play Western New York and Project Play Southeast Michigan
– a collaboration between the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, Aspen
Institute, Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo and Community
Foundation for Southeast Michigan – which promotes children living healthy
and active lifestyles through youth sports. Because of both federal and state
mandates surrounding social distancing in response to COVID-19, Project Play
recognizes our youth are going to be staying at home more often and for a
significant amount of time. We’ve helped both regions share fun and free “home
play” activity cards, encouraging youth to stay active while at home across
their digital channels: social media, web, and email marketing. These
activities can be found at www.projectplaywny.org
and www.projectplaysemi.org.

Other brands have been spared similar disruption, but have nevertheless needed to pivot their messaging and communications to adapt to these extraordinary times. We’ve helped Galbani, Italy’s #1 cheese brand, make the most of the situation by shifting their social media content strategy to focus on cheese-related crafts for families, as well as unique recipe twists (using nimble at-home photoshoots) to help people mix up their meals at home.

How can you get the most from your breakfast toast? Top it with the rich flavor of Galbani Ricotta, and discover a delicious way to start the day. 🌞

LiDestri
Food and Drink’sRecipe 21
line of spirits is another brand whose social media tone and content strategy
we’ve helped to pivot, focusing on at-home, funny content with bottles
featuring “21 days of drinking at home”; “Virtual” dates and happy hours; trending
topics like Tiger King; and educating social distancers on liquor store
delivery options.

We also helped Orville’s
Home Appliances
execute a short-term media buy, utilizing broadcast and streaming audio, to promote
their online sales and delivery in anticipation of increased appliance usage leading
to breakdowns and the need for new purchases. Our recommendation was to use
broadcast stations that also stream their content through online platforms, as
well as streaming audio since listenership to terrestrial radio is no doubt
diminished with far fewer cars on the road.

Need help adjusting your organization’s messaging to adapt to these challenging times? If so, please don’t hesitate to contact us today.

Dan Giacomini, Marketing Director

Need help adjusting your organization’s messaging to adapt to these challenging times? If so, please don’t hesitate to contact us today.